Ayala program benefits poor kids

BAUAN, Batangas — Forty-five-year-old Teresita Lucero never knew that any of her four children would be able to study in a "quality" school. With their meager income, she and her husband could only afford to send their children to public schools.

Last year, however, fate had its way. The youngest Lucero child, six-year-old Fatima, was given a full scholarship through the Center of Excellence in Public Elementary Education (CENTEX) program of the Ayala Group of Companies.

Fatima is now among 76 kindergarten students from various towns in this province who are enrolled in CENTEX-Bauan at the Aplaya Elementary School.

"Now we don’t spend a single centavo for Fatima. Her socks, uniforms, books, lunch, merienda and even transportation fare are being shouldered by CENTEX. It’s really a big help," Lucero said.

Sponsored by Globe Telecom, CENTEX-Bauan was opened last October to provide education to poor but deserving students of this province.

CENTEX-Bauan was formally inaugurated the other day, with Education Secretary Raul Roco, Presidential Management Staff Secretary Vicky Garchitorena, Ayala Land Inc. chairman Fernando Zobel de Ayala and wife Kitkat, Singaporean Ambassador Jacky Foo, Batangas Gov. Hermi-lando Mandanas and Globe president and chief executive officer Gerardo Ablaza Jr. among the special guests.

The Ayala Group put up the first CENTEX in Tondo, Manila in 1998 with 75 kindergarten students as beneficiaries. The pupils are now in Grade 2, and 150 more have been added to the roster.

According to Zobel de Ayala, the CENTEX initiative was the Ayala Group’s "contribution to have a more progressive society."

"It is also a chance for us to give some of the less fortunate members of society an equal opportunity to excel in life, and raise the economic standard of their families and their communities," he said.

CENTEX students are selected through qualifying examinations and other screening procedures.

Teachers, on the other hand, are handpicked for the job, undergoing intensive training to equip them with the necessary skills and expertise to implement the CENTEX curriculum.

Carol Atacador, CENTEX project director, said CENTEX offers a holistic approach — a combination of educational systems worldwide.

"This early, we train our students to be leaders. They get to use the computers. This is the kind of program that tests right away their application of concept learning," she said.

The Ayala Group is planning to put up 98 more CENTEX schools, each with a budget of P60 million.

Garchitorena, former president of Ayala Land Inc., said CENTEX will have an "endowment fund" whose earnings will be used to ensure the continuity of the program.